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Vehicle Collisions (vehicle + collision)
Kinds of Vehicle Collisions Selected AbstractsPSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS AND MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIAJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 10 2008Mark J. Rapoport MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Characterization of the Triacylglycerol Crystal Formation in Adipose Tissue During a Vehicle CollisionJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 4 2007Barbara H. Stuart Ph.D. Abstract:, The unusual appearance of crystalline fat structures was observed during the postmortem examination of a motor vehicle accident victim. The crystal structures were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffractometry. The structures were found to be made of triacylglycerols, a dominant lipid structure found in human adipose tissue, capable of forming various polymorphic structures. The morphology of the crystalline material was found using both techniques to be predominantly the ,, form of triacylglycerols. The accelerated growth of such triacylglycerol morphology has been observed as a result of shear stresses in other studies involving edible fats. As a result of the findings of this study, it is proposed that increased shear forces may be responsible for the formation of the unusual fat structure found in the victim. An understanding of the effect of forces on the structure of body fat in high-impact collisions can potentially assist in verifying a high-velocity impact. [source] Can High-Risk Older Drivers Be Identified Through Performance-Based Measures in a Department of Motor Vehicles Setting?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006Karlene K. Ball PhD OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between performance-based risk factors and subsequent at-fault motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement in a cohort of older drivers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) field sites in Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 4,173 older drivers invited to participate in the study, 2,114 individuals aged 55 to 96 agreed to do so. These analyses focus on 1,910 individuals recruited through MVA field sites. MEASUREMENTS: Gross Impairment Screening Battery, which included Rapid Pace Walk, Head/Neck Rotation, Foot Tap, Arm Reach, Cued Recall, Symbol Scan, Visual Closure subtest of the Motor Free Visual Perception Test (MVPT), Delayed Recall, and Trail Making Test with an Abbreviated Part A and standard Part B; Useful Field of View (UFOV®) subtest 2; a Mobility Questionnaire; and MVC occurrence. RESULTS: In drivers aged 55 and older with intact vision (20/70 far visual acuity and 140° visual field), age, sex, history of falls, and poorer cognitive performance, as measured using Trails B, MVPT, and UFOV subtest 2, were predictive of future at-fault MVC involvement. After adjusting for annual mileage, participants aged 78 and older were 2.11 as more likely to be involved in an at-fault MVC, those who made four or more errors on the MVPT were 2.10 times as likely to crash, those who took 147 seconds or longer to complete Trails B were 2.01 times as likely to crash, and those who took 353 ms or longer on subtest 2 of the UFOV were 2.02 times as likely to incur an at-fault MVC. Older adults, men, and individuals with a history of falls were more likely to be involved in subsequent at-fault MVCs. CONCLUSION: Performance-based cognitive measures are predictive of future at-fault MVCs in older adults. Cognitive performance, in particular, is a salient predictor of subsequent crash involvement in older adults. High-risk older drivers can be identified through brief, performance-based measures administered in a MVA setting. [source] Guardian Availability in Children Evaluated in the Emergency Department for Blunt Head TraumaACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2009James F. Holmes MD Abstract Background:, Enrolling children in research studies in the emergency department (ED) is typically dependent on the presence of a guardian to provide written informed consent. Objectives:, The objectives were to determine the rate of guardian availability during the initial ED evaluation of children with nontrivial blunt head trauma, to identify the reasons why a guardian is unavailable, and to compare clinical factors in patients with and without a guardian present during initial ED evaluation. Methods:, This was a prospective study of children (<18 years of age) presenting to a single Level 1 trauma center after nontrivial blunt head trauma over a 10-month period. Physicians documented patient history and physical examination findings onto a structured data form after initial evaluation. The data form contained data points regarding the presence or absence of the patient's guardian during the initial ED evaluation. For those children for whom the guardian was not available during the initial ED evaluation, the physicians completing the data forms documented the reasons for the absence. Results:, The authors enrolled 602 patients, of whom 271 (45%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 41% to 49%) did not have a guardian available during the initial ED evaluation. In these 271 patients, 261 had reasons documented for lack of guardian availability, 43 of whom had multiple reasons. The most common of these was that the guardian did not ride in the ambulance (51%). Those patients without a guardian available were more likely to be older (mean age, 11.4 years vs. 7.6 years; p < 0.001), be victims of a motor vehicle collision (MVC; 130/268 [49%] vs. 35/328 [11%]; p < 0.001), have a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score <14 (21/269 [7.8%] vs. 11/331 [3.3%]; p = 0.02), and undergo cranial computed tomography (CT) scanning (224/271 [83%] vs. 213/331 [64%]; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified similar independent risk factors for lack of guardian presence. Conclusions:, Nearly one-half of children with nontrivial blunt head trauma evaluated in the ED may not have a guardian available during their initial ED evaluation. Patients whose guardians are not available at the time of initial ED evaluation are older and have more severe mechanisms of injury and more serious head trauma. ED research studies of pediatric trauma patients that require written informed consent from a guardian at the time of initial ED evaluation and treatment may have difficulty enrolling targeted sample size numbers and will likely be limited by enrollment bias. [source] What shapes Eurasian lynx distribution in human dominated landscapes: selecting prey or avoiding people?ECOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2009Mathieu Basille In the multi-use landscape of southern Norway, the distribution of lynx is likely to be determined both by the abundance of their favoured prey , the roe deer , and the risk associated with the presence of humans because most lynx mortalities are caused by humans (recreational harvest, poaching, vehicle collisions). We described the distribution of the reproductive portion of the lynx population based on snow-track observations of females with dependent kittens collected over 10,yr (1997,2006) in southern Norway. We used the ecological-niche factor analysis to examine how lynx distribution was influenced by roe deer, human activity, habitat type, environmental productivity and elevation. Our first prediction that lynx should be found in areas of relatively high roe deer abundance was supported. However, our second prediction that lynx should avoid human activity was rejected, and lynx instead occupied areas more disturbed in average than those available (with the exception of the most densely occupied areas). Lynx, however, avoided the most disturbed areas and our third prediction of a trade-off between abundance of prey and avoidance of human activity was supported. On the one hand, roe deer in the most disturbed areas benefit to a large extent from current human land use practices, potentially allowing them to escape predation from lynx. On the other hand, the situation is not so favourable for the predators who are restricted in competition refuges with medium to low prey densities. The consequence is that lynx conservation will have to be achieved in a human modifed environment where the potential for a range of conflicts and high human-caused mortality will remain a constant threat. [source] The Efficacy of Esmolol versus Lidocaine to Attenuate the Hemodynamic Response to Intubation in Isolated Head Trauma PatientsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2001M. Andrew Levitt DO Abstract. Objective: To assess the effect of esmolol vs lidocaine to attenuate the detrimental rise in heart rate and blood pressure during intubation of patients with isolated head trauma. Methods: This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized study, performed at an urban, county teaching emergency department. Participants were 30 patients with isolated head trauma. Each underwent a standardized intubation protocol including esmolol or lidocaine, both at 2 mg/kg. Results: Esmolol was used in 16 patients and lidocaine in 14. Mechanisms of injury included 12 assaults, 6 motor vehicle collisions, 6 falls, 4 auto-vs-pedestrian crashes, and 2 bicycle incidents. Mean ethanol level was 0.116 ± 0.133 SD (range 0-0.482). Mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 7.9 ± 4.0 SD. Cranial computed tomography (CT) hemorrhagic findings included 9 subdural/epidural hematomas, 6 cortex hemorrhages, and 2 multi-hemorrhages. Eleven patients received surgical intervention: 9 patients received a craniotomy, and 2 a ventricular catheter. The 2-minute time interval around intubation was used to assess each drug's efficacy. The mean difference change between groups for heart rate was 4.0 beats/min (95% CI = -17.7 to 9.7 beats/min), for systolic blood pressure was 1.3 mm Hg (95% CI = -27.8 to 30.4 mm Hg), and for diastolic blood pressure was 2.6 mm Hg (95% CI = -27.1 to 21.9 mm Hg). The power of this study was 90% to detect a 20-beat/min difference in heart rate, a 35-mm Hg difference in systolic blood pressure, and a 20-mm Hg difference in diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions: Esmolol and lidocaine have similar efficacies to attenuate moderate hemodynamic response to intubation of patients with isolated head trauma. [source] Rupture of the Innominate Artery from Blunt Trauma: Current Options for ManagementJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 5 2005John D. Symbas M.D. It is frequently accompanied by major trauma to other organs. The traditional management is expeditious surgical repair. Methods: Three patients presented to the Emergency Department after motor vehicle collisions with traumatic rupture of the innominate artery from 2001 to 2003. One patient presented with an isolated innominate artery injury. The other two patients presented with multi-system trauma. All patients underwent surgical repair; however, repair was individualized in each case. Results: Diagnosis was obtained via arteriography in all patients after the admission chest radiographs suggested mediastinal injury. In the patient with isolated traumatic innominate artery rupture, urgent repair was performed. In the remaining two, the repair was intentionally delayed (hospital day 4 and 19) until they stabilized or recovered from other injuries or complications. In one of these patients, repair was delayed after an endovascular repair failed. In both patients who underwent delayed repair, mean arterial pressure was maintained at <70 mmHg with beta-blockade. All patients underwent repair without cardiopulmonary bypass and were monitored for adequate cerebral perfusion pressures by measuring the right carotid artery stump pressure. Successful repair was achieved in all the three patients without postoperative complications or mortality. Conclusions: Rupture of the innominate artery from blunt trauma is an infrequent but life-threatening injury that mandates repair. In patients with isolated injuries, prompt intervention is warranted. However, intentional delayed repair may be a practical alternative for those patients with multi-system trauma. [source] Mothers' Experience of Helping Young Adults With Traumatic Brain InjuryJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 1 2005Suporn Wongvatunyu Purpose:To describe mothers' experience of helping young adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design:Descriptive. Methods:A convenience sample of participants from support groups for parents of young adults with TBI met the criteria of engaging in regular interaction or helping their children (aged 20 to 36 years). These young adults had suffered moderate or severe TBI from a motor vehicle collisions, sports-related injuries, or recreation-related injuries more than 6 months earlier. A descriptive phenomenological method was used. Three in-depth interviews were done with each mother over a 2-month period. Data were the mothers' perceptions, actions, and intentions pertaining to their experiences of helping the young adults. Findings:Five phenomena that were structures of the experience were discerned, discussed with participants to obtain their feedback, and compared to the relevant literature. The five phenomena of the mothers' experiences were: reconnecting my child's brain, considering my child's safety, making our lives as normal as possible, dealing with our biggest problem, and advocating for my child. Conclusions:The mothers continued rehabilitation efforts with the young adults, even when only minimal services were available to support their efforts. Mothers needed interventions to enhance their knowledge, and they and the young adults with TBI needed expanded community services. [source] Epidemiology of major paediatric chest traumaJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 11 2009Sumudu P Samarasekera Aim: Paediatric chest trauma is a marker of severe injury and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. However, current trends in the Australian population are unknown. This study aims to outline the profile and management of major paediatric chest trauma in Victoria. Methods: Prospectively collected data of patients from the Victorian State Trauma Registry from July 2001 to June 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Data on fatalities were obtained from the National Coroners Information System. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the profiles of major trauma cases and coroners' cases. Results: Overall, 204 cases with serious paediatric chest injuries were reported by the Victorian State Trauma Registry (n = 158) and National Coroners Information System (n = 46) (excluding overlapping cases) in 2001,2007. Paediatric chest trauma was more common in males. The Injury Severity Score ranged from 16 to 25 in most patients. Blunt trauma was responsible for 96% of cases, of which motor vehicle collisions accounted for 75%. Median hospitalisation was 9 days, and 64% of patients were admitted to intensive care. Common injuries included lung contusion (66%), haemo/pneumothorax (32%) and rib fracture (23%). Multiple organ injury occurred in 99% of cases, with head (62%) and abdominal (50%) injury common. Management was conservative, with only 11 cases (7%) treated surgically. The highest mortality was in the 10,15-year age group. In 52 (79%) fatalities, injury was transport related. Conclusion: Australian paediatric chest trauma trends are similar to international patterns. Serious injury requiring surgical intervention is rare. This limited exposure may lead to difficulty in maintaining surgical expertise in this highly specialised area. [source] Determinants of hospital costs associated with traumatic brain injury in England and Wales,ANAESTHESIA, Issue 5 2008S. Morris Summary Using data from the Trauma Audit Research Network, we investigated the costs of acute care in patients , 18 years of age hospitalised for traumatic brain injury between January 2000 and December 2005 in England and Wales. Traumatic brain injury patients were defined and stratified using the Abbreviated Injury Scale. A total of 6484 traumatic brain injury patients were identified; 22.3% had an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of three, 38.0% of four and 39.7% of five. Median age (IQR) was 42 years (28,59) and 76.7% were men. Primary cause of injury was motor vehicle collisions (42.4%) followed by falls (38.0%). In total 23.7% of the patients died before discharge. Hospitalisation costs averaged £15 462 (SD £16 844). Costs varied significantly by age, Glasgow Coma Score, Injury Severity Score, coexisting injuries of the thorax, spine and lower limb, hospital mortality, availability of neurosurgical services, and specialty of attendants seen in the Accident and Emergency department. [source] | ||||||||||